To some degree I try to follow the philosophy of 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Of course, the minute anyone hears my accent they'll have me pegged as American so it's a mix of being respectful of the local culture and doing what I need to do to enjoy my vacation.

As I said I live in Germany. This morning I took the cat to the vet, and there were nine people in the waiting room. Six of them were wearing jeans, also those six were wearing sneakers of some variety. Ages ranged, I would guess, from late 20s to mid-60s.

Why try to hide the fact that you are American though? I think as long as you are not doing something like wearing a thong into the Notre Dame, you can wear whatever you want.

When my choir was in a different country, our choir director had rules about what we could and could not wear. She didn't want people thinking we were American, because some pickpocket might try to rob us, or worse.

I, however, take precautions, but I don't assume someone's going to rob me.

---- snip ----BTW, when I was in N. Ireland the natives could tell I was American by one trait: my teeth.

Jaxsue, I read your post yesterday, and have been wondering about this since then. What is it about your teeth that you're immediately, correctly identified as an American?

On a guess, I'd say it's because many Americans have had their teeth straightened/capped and/or bleached!

IME, those Americans who can afford (or who are insured for) dental treatment that is purely cosmetic in nature will do it. In the UK, people want their teeth to be white, but not that bright white Hollywood smile. Similarly, people who have very slightly crooked teeth probably won't bother to get them fixed.

Interestingly, the whole thing about British teeth being bad is a myth. Statistically, the British have the healthiest teeth in the world (http://www.economist.com/node/15060097). It's just that cosmetic dentistry isn't such a big thing here.

---- snip ----BTW, when I was in N. Ireland the natives could tell I was American by one trait: my teeth.

Jaxsue, I read your post yesterday, and have been wondering about this since then. What is it about your teeth that you're immediately, correctly identified as an American?

I thought it was an odd thing, because I saw people with nice teeth in N. Ireland. The "British have bad teeth" thing, I just didn't see it. It's just what some people said to me. So, I'm a bit mystified as well. *FTR, I have simply been blessed with perfect teeth. I've never had braces, or had them bleached or capped.

*It's a good thing I naturally had good teeth, because my parents didn't have dental insurance when I was a kid. Treatments were hit-and-miss.

I'm glad that you have good teeth. I was watching an episode of "Undercover Boss: International" on TV the other day. The CEO of Isuzu England (?) went undercover and she was talking to a young woman who was going beyond what was excepted of her. The young woman's one tooth was crooked just like mine is. My parents couldn't afford braces for me when I was younger, and DH and I couldn't afford them for me either.

---- snip ----BTW, when I was in N. Ireland the natives could tell I was American by one trait: my teeth.

Jaxsue, I read your post yesterday, and have been wondering about this since then. What is it about your teeth that you're immediately, correctly identified as an American?

I thought it was an odd thing, because I saw people with nice teeth in N. Ireland. The "British have bad teeth" thing, I just didn't see it. It's just what some people said to me. So, I'm a bit mystified as well. *FTR, I have simply been blessed with perfect teeth. I've never had braces, or had them bleached or capped.

*It's a good thing I naturally had good teeth, because my parents didn't have dental insurance when I was a kid. Treatments were hit-and-miss.

I've always been mystified by the 'British teeth' thing, because dental care was free for children when I, and my children, were growing up. I'm not sure whether that's still true, but I do know that my regular inspections cost very little, and that cost has never been a factor in deciding whether to go to the dentist. Which as far as I can tell is most certainly not the case in the USA. Now, we don't tend to bother with cosmetic improvements - my husband's teeth are strong and healthy but a little bit crooked - so presumably that's the 'problem'.